Te Reo Māori is as an official language of New Zealand and studying Maori language at Sacred Heart College acknowledges the value and importance of learning te reo Māori which is indigenous to Aotearoa. It is a taonga recognised under the Treaty of Waitangi, a primary source of our nation’s self-knowledge and identity. By understanding and using Te Reo Māori, New Zealanders become more aware of the role played by the indigenous language and culture in defining and asserting our point of difference in the wider world. By learning Te Reo and becoming increasingly familiar with tikanga, students strengthen their identities and new learners move toward shared cultural understandings.

All who learn Te Reo Māori help to secure its future as a living, dynamic and rich language; as they learn, they come to appreciate that diversity is a key to unity. Te Reo Māori underpins Māori cultural development and supports Māori social and economic growth in Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally. Understanding Te Reo Māori stretches learners cognitively, enabling them to think in different ways and preparing them for leadership.

By learning Te Reo Māori, students are able to:

Participate with understanding and confidence in situations where Te Reo and tikanga Māori predominate and to integrate language and cultural understandings into their lives

Strengthen New Zealand’s identity in the world

Broaden their entrepreneurial and employment options to include work in an ever-increasing range of social, legal, educational, business and professional settings.

At Sacred Heart, Te Reo Māori is offered from Year 8 to Year 13. The Year 8 course is a general introduction to the language and the tikanga. Years 9 and 10 are full-year courses aligned with Levels 3 and 4 of The New Zealand Curriculum. They aim to establish a base for NCEA Level 1. At the end of Year 10, students can cope with a variety of routine situations when talking to speakers of Te Reo Māori. They can use familiar language with some flexibility and pick up new language from its context. They can read and write simple notes and short letters and fill out simple forms. They can also use and respond to language, including directions and requests that are likely to occur in familiar Māori settings. They are becoming more confident in using a range of language learning strategies.

Year 11 Te Reo Māori is aligned with NCEA Level 1 and Levels 5 and 6 of The New Zealand Curriculum. By the end of Level 6, students can converse with Te Reo Māori speakers in familiar social situations and cope with some less familiar ones. They can use basic Māori language patterns spontaneously. They show a willingness to experiment with new language and to read independently. They can write short passages, recounts and dialogue in Te Reo Māori. Students are increasingly confident in using a range of strategies for learning Te Reo Māori and for communicating with others in predominantly Māori social contexts.

Te Reo Maori that is taught in Years 12 and 13 is aligned with NCEA Levels 2 and 3 and Levels 7 and 8 of The New Zealand Curriculum. By the end of Level 8, students can take part in general conversation with speakers of Te Reo Māori, understand most of what is said and contribute relevant comments. They can explain and discuss many of their own ideas and opinions and may use Te Reo Māori creatively. They can read a variety of authentic Te Reo Māori materials and write expressively for a range of purposes. Students use a variety of strategies to help them learn Te Reo Māori effectively and they demonstrate a high level of fluency for a learner of Te Reo Māori as a second language.

Head of Department and Teacher-in-Charge of MāoriMr Ben Christie This role is to ensure the Te Reo Māori program is delivered to encourage and challenge students who opt to study this language at Sacred Heart. The program is delivered to all Year 8 students and optional in all other Year levels.

Kaiawhina - Mr Ben Christie The Kaiawhina will work with Year Level Deans supporting, mentoring and guiding students through their studies at school. The role is to work with students as identified by Year Level Deans who require extra support. Disciplinary issues will be dealt with by the Year Level Dean primarily and the Kaiawhina will work with both the Dean and the student in a supporting role. Students will meet regularly and academic standards monitored to ensure the students are achieving at their respective level.

Chinese was introduced at Sacred Heart College in 2012. In 2019, it will be offered to students in Years 8 through to 13 (Level 3 NCEA).

Year 8Year 8 Chinese is an introductory course for 13 weeks. During the course, the students cover cultural aspects as well as basic language knowledge. At the beginning of the course, the students learn about the origin of Chinese New Year and its traditions. In terms of language skills, they learn how to form Chinese characters and are able to write basic characters by the end of the course. The topics that are covered over the 13 weeks are greetings, self-introductions, numbers and nationalities. They will be assessed on listening, reading and speaking skills

Year 9In Year 9 Chinese, the students build upon the foundation they have set in the introductory course from Year 8. They widen their language skills by learning about topics such as occupations, pets, hobbies, sports, daily routines, food and physical descriptions. The students cover these topics in all four skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking. Not only are language skills developed, the students learn and experience many Chinese cultural activities including a Chinese lunch at the end of the year.

Year 10In Year 10 Chinese, the students begin to learn and are expected to read and write Chinese characters - Hanzi. The topics that are covered are school buildings, school life, differences between life in NZ and China as well as festivals. At the end of Year 10, students become confident in using a range of sentence patterns and are able to converse with speakers of Chinese about all four topics. They can also read and write about familiar topics. A real life situation where students put their knowledge into practice is during the dinner outing. Students say grace, order their food and drinks in Chinese and converse with a Chinese waiter. In the last few weeks of Year 10, students are given the opportunity to prepare for an internal speaking assessment that is worth 4 credits and will be counted towards their Level 1 credits. The course in Year 10 is aimed to prepare students for NCEA Level 1 internal and external exams in Year 11.

Year 11 (24 credits)In Year 11 Chinese, the focus is for students to thoroughly prepare for their Internal and External examinations. At the same time allowing boys to enjoy and understand the relevance of learning a language. The students participate in a wide range of cultural activities such as making shuttlecocks, dumplings and calligraphy writing.

The External courses that are offered at NCEA Level 1 are:
90868 Demonstrate understanding of a variety of spoken Chinese texts on areas of most immediate relevance (5 credits)
90871 Demonstrate understanding of a variety of Chinese texts on areas of most immediate relevance (5 credits)

The Internal courses that are offered at NCEA Level 1 are:
90869 Give a spoken presentation in Chinese that communicates a personal response (4 credits)
90870 Interact using spoken Chinese to communicate personal information, ideas and opinions in different situations (5 credits)
90872 Write a variety of text types in Chinese on areas of most immediate relevance (5 credits)

Year 12 (20 credits)To study Year 12 Chinese, students should have a solid foundation at Level 1.
The External courses offered at NCEA Level 2 are:
91108 Demonstrate understanding of a variety of spoken Chinese text on familiar matters (5 credits)
91111 Demonstrate understanding of a variety of written and/or visual Chinese text(s) on familiar matters (5 credits)

The Internal courses that are offered at NCEA Level 2 are:
91109 Interact using spoken Chinese to share information and justify ideas and opinions in different situations (5 credits)
91112 Write a variety of text types in Chinese to convey information, ideas and opinions in genuine contexts (5 credits).

Year 13 (21 credits)To study Year 13 Chinese, students should have a solid foundation at Level 2.

Students can use language variably and effectively to express and justify their own ideas and opinions, and support or challenge those of others. They are able to use and identify the linguistic and cultural forms that guide interpretation and enable them to respond critically to texts.

The Internal courses that are offered at NCEA Level 3 are:
91535 Interact clearly using spoken Chinese to explore and justify varied ideas and perspectives in different situations (6 credits)
91537 Write a variety of text types in clear Chinese to explore and justify varied ideas and perspectives (5 credits).

Spanish is the official language in 21 countries and is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. It is a great language to learn for business and travel opportunities. The Spanish language is now in its fifth year at Sacred Heart College and has been offered as an NCEA course since 2017.

The course develops students’ knowledge of the Spanish language and culture. Students learn the skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Year 8Students undertake a 13 week taster course where they learn basic conversational skills and gain an understanding of the Spanish and Latin American culture. Students are encouraged to speak Spanish, and are given the opportunity to conduct their own research into important cultural celebrations in the Spanish speaking world such as Dia de los Muertos and La Tomatina.

Year 10Students gain confidence with their language skills and gain a widened knowledge of grammar and vocabulary through topics such as: introducing yourself and family, food, shopping, holidays, free time, health.

Year 11
Students continue to build on the knowledge they have acquired in Junior classes so that, by the end of the year, they have a working command of the Spanish language which will allow them to survive in an everyday environment. This is reflected in the NCEA Level 1 programme with two external examinations, which test listening and reading skills, and the Internal Standards which require students to produce a prepared speech and write a variety of essays. In Year 11, students will have the opportunity to participate in the annual dinner at a Spanish restaurant and study Spanish films and songs